(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly, to a telecommunications system for controlling and monitoring wireless roaming calls for real-time billing, specifically, wireless roaming calls having credit restrictions.
(2) Background Art
The telecommunications industry has transitioned to a wireless telecommunications environment with the introduction of wireless telecommunications services (referred to as xe2x80x9cwireless servicesxe2x80x9d or simply xe2x80x9cwirelessxe2x80x9d). This transition has resulted in a rise of a myriad of wireless providers who seek to service the growing number of wireless subscribers on a national level, as well as a worldwide level. Providing the wireless subscribers with the ability to place and receive wireless communications regardless of their geographic location is not only a technical challenge, but also requires a complex network and infrastructure. A wireless subscriber may wish to place or receive wireless telecommunications when geographically outside the subscriber""s home network. The xe2x80x9chome networkxe2x80x9d is the network or the region serviced by the network of the wireless provider with whom the subscriber has contracted. The wireless provider, however, also wishes to provide telecommunications services to the subscriber even when the subscriber is geographically outside the home network, commonly referred to as roaming outside the home network or simply roaming. The subscriber must be capable of communicating outside of the home network in order for a Roaming Solution to occur.
However, to provide this service creates a credit risk for the Provider because calls originated by or delivered to the roaming subscriber while roaming in a Local Roaming Provider""s network can not be controlled or monitored real-time for account based billing. Due to this potential exposure to credit risk, the wireless providers have, in many cases, refused to provide roaming services to many subscribers in order to mitigate exposure to credit risk. Other solutions to mitigate exposure to credit risk include, credit card calling, various prepay systems including the Applicant""s patented system which provides roaming services to prepay unregistered roaming subscribers for call originations only.
When the subscriber is outside of the home network, the subscriber""s equipment searches for a Local Provider""s network (local with respect to a roaming subscriber, xe2x80x9cLocal Providerxe2x80x9d could be referred to as xe2x80x9cRoaming Providerxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cServing Providerxe2x80x9d) for which it can communicate. This is referred to as roaming. The subscriber""s equipment roams until a network provider for which communications can be established is found. The myriad of providers and the growing number of subscribers combined with the complex infrastructure makes a network Roaming Solution a key part to successfully providing nationwide or worldwide wireless services.
Wireless communication networks and services must provide a Roaming Solution for roaming Registration Notification (Regnot), as well as Roaming Solutions for wireless communications originated by the wireless roaming subscriber and for incoming communications directed to the wireless roaming subscriber. There are various wireless telecommunications interconnect strategies that are designed for servicing the wireless roaming subscriber. A given wireless provider will service both local home subscriber traffic, specifically their own subscribers, however, they will also service roaming subscribers who are not their own who have roamed into the Local Provider""s network (i.e., a wireless roaming subscriber).
As indicated above, wireless subscribers desire to be able to use their mobile phone regardless of their location and this subscriber desire has induced wireless providers to negotiate contracts among themselves to provide roaming services to their subscribers when they are outside the wireless Home Provider""s network. A subscriber is considered a roamer when the subscriber""s mobile station or mobile phone requires service in a local network which is operated by a wireless provider other than the one to which the subscriber contracts. When a subscriber""s mobile station is in the roaming mode, a signal indicative of the roaming condition is provided to the subscriber and is typically displayed on the display of the mobile phone as the result of a comparison of the system identification (SID) of the subscribed system which is stored in the mobile station (mobile phone), with the SID of the system of the Local Wireless Provider which provides a service broadcast from the local base station. This alerts the subscriber of the mobile station that the service being provided is accruing roaming charges. However, the subscriber typically does not have visibility into the actual roaming costs as the contracts between the various wireless providers can vary. Thus, a subscriber can accumulate roaming costs that are higher than anticipated.
A typical scenario is when the mobile station or mobile phone of the wireless subscriber enters a geographical area outside of its home network that prevents it from obtaining service from the Home Provider""s communications network. The mobile station or the mobile phone registers with the Local Provider""s (Roaming Provider""s) wireless communications system by providing identification information to the Local Provider""s mobile switching center (MSC). This identification is referred to as Regnot. The Visitor Location Register (VLR) attached to the Local Provider""s MSC has a database of information that identifies other providers with whom they have billing arrangements such that the Local Provider has agreed to provide roaming services to roaming subscribers of the other provider (the Home Provider of roaming subscriber). The VLR maintains records of all service being provided to wireless roaming subscribers. If the other provider or Home Provider of the roaming subscriber is registered in the VLR of the Local Provider, then the VLR will contact the Home Location Register (HLR) of the Home Provider of the roaming subscriber to obtain caller profile information for the roaming subscriber that has roamed into the network of the local or Roaming Provider. The Local Wireless Provider""s wireless communications system will then seek authorization to provide service to the roaming subscriber who has roamed into the Local Wireless Provider""s network. The HLR of the Home Provider will tell the VLR of the Local Provider whether to provide or not to provide roaming services. Once the roaming services are allowed to be provided, all calls originated by the roaming subscriber are completed by the Local Provider""s MSC and RSU. The problem is that the Home Provider has no control over the call originated by the roaming caller. This situation creates a credit risk to the Home Provider. Therefor, Home Providers have opted not to allow roaming services to some subscribers thus they would not be registered with the VLR of the Roaming Provider. Please note, in the telecommunications industry when one refers to a Provider""s mobile switching center or switching center or mobile switch or simply switch, it typically implies that an HLR and VLR are included, as well as other necessary hardware. For the purpose of this document, when these terms are used it is implied that the HLR and VLR are included.
Call delivery to the roaming subscriber when roaming in a Local or Roaming Provider""s network can be accomplished current wireless telecommunication infrastructures, however, once the call is terminated at the MSC of the Local Provider, the Home Provider has no means of controlling and monitoring the call. Again, Home Providers have opted not to allow roaming services to some subscribers and again they would not be registered with the VLR of the Roaming Provider.
If the roaming subscriber is identified in the VLR of the Local Provider, the system of the Local Wireless Provider will send a request to provide service to the home wireless provider""s system controller which contains a database referred to as a HLR. The HLR contains user profile information comprising an authorization to permit roaming, user features and information about anticipated roaming costs based upon the various contractual agreements that are in place. The home wireless provider system will then provide information back to the Local Wireless Provider system, including authorization to permit roaming, as well as other features.
The Applicant has reduced to practice and implemented patented technology that provides real-time call management of a call originated by an unregistered prepay roaming subscriber which addresses part of the problem discussed above, specifically call origination from an unregistered prepay roaming caller. This is an option for those subscribers that the Home Provider has opted not to register with the Local Provider for roaming services. With this technology an unregistered prepay roaming subscriber (a subscriber that the Home Provider opted not to register with the VLR of the Local Provider but is a prepay subscriber) can originate a prepay call. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,026, issued Feb. 22, 2000, to the present Applicant discloses a network that provides such a service. This patent discloses and claims a telecommunications system that includes a prepay call management platform which is coupled and co-located with a Local Roaming Provider""s telecommunications MSC. The system further includes a customer database coupled to the prepay call management platform for storing prepay customer data. The system provides a method for live call management of all prepay calls with unregistered roaming call processing capability. The method includes the steps of recognizing an unregistered roaming call at a Roaming Provider""s telecommunications MSC and routing the unregistered roaming call to a prepay call management platform coupled to the telecommunications MSC. This system allows for unregistered roaming calls to be processed locally. This system provides for prepay call management accounting, however, this technology requires the Local or Roaming Provider to have additional hardware infrastructure communicable to and co-located with the Roaming Provider""s MSC. The additional infrastructure required includes a Remote Switching Unit (RSU) for terminating the prepay roaming calls. In addition, this patented system only provides for call origination services and not call delivery services (incoming calls directed to the roaming subscriber while in a local network).
The Regnot of the roaming subscriber that occurs is logged with the home wireless providers system also, which allows the home wireless provider to be aware of the subscriber""s location such that the home wireless provider is able to reroute all incoming calls to the Local Provider""s MSC for final termination at the subscriber""s mobile station. If the mobile station of a subscriber roams from a previously visited provider""s network MSC to a newly visited MSC, or back to the Home Provider""s network MSC, the home MSC notifies the previously visited MSC to clear any data regarding that mobile station from its system. This process of tracking for call delivery to the roaming caller and actual delivery of the call terminating at the Local Provider""s switch is not addressed by the Applicants patented system for account billing.
In summary there are several shortcomings of the standard wireless communication networks. For example, one shortcoming of the standard network is calls delivered to the roaming subscriber can not be controlled or monitored. Another shortcoming of the standard network is that calls originated by the roaming subscriber either cannot be monitored and controlled at all or if monitoring and control is provided additional infrastructure is required at the Roaming Provider""s Site. There is a need in wireless to address the credit risk of some roaming subscribers and provide a system such that wireless providers can provide wireless roaming services to credit risk subscribers while mitigating the credit risk.
The invention is a wireless telecommunications Roaming Solution that includes a Regnot function, a roaming call origination function, and a roaming call delivery function. The Roaming Solution integrated with a real-time account billing system equips the Home Provider with the capability to monitor, control and real-time price calls originated by and delivered to credit risk roaming subscribers, for example, prepay roaming subscribers. The Roaming Solution defines a network architecture that comprises multiple network components, including a Roaming Server which acts as a gateway between a National Location Register (NLR), which is also a part of the Roaming Solution, and a call origination remote switching unit. The call origination remote switching unit or the 800 number Remote Switching Unit (800# RSU) is where the wireless roaming call originations will be processed through for central control, which can be generally referred to as a central control RSU or a call origination RSU. The Roaming Server also acts as a gateway between the NLR and an account based billing system to which the Roaming Solution is coupled. The NLR acts as a VLR as seen by the HLR of the Home Provider, and acts as a HLR as seen by the VLR of the Local Roaming Provider. This is accomplished by the NLR tapping into or inserting in the communication link between the HLR of the Home mobile switch and the VLR of the roaming serving mobile switch. The NLR is communicably positioned to intercept messages from the VLR and the HLR. The NLR tracks the location information for the wireless roaming subscribers and contains the HLR information, which provides the subscriber profile information. The NLR and Roaming Server are adapted to be communicably integrated with a standard and unmodified wireless communication network having a home MSC which provides transport and translation support for call originations at the wireless roaming subscriber, and several roaming serving MSCs which provide transport and translation support for terminations to the wireless roaming subscriber. The NLR and Roaming Server is further adapted to be communicably integrated with a real-time billing system such that all roaming calls can be monitored, controlled and real-time pricing and accounting. Thus, Roaming Solution Network System comprises three components and they are the Roaming Server, the NLR and the call origination RSU (800# RSU). Each of these components are adapted such that they can be located at a central location remote from either the Home provider or the Serving Provider.
One aspect of the present invention is that all-call originations from wireless credit risk roaming subscriber""s can be supported and call monitoring and control will be provided. The real-time call monitoring and control provided by the Roaming Server, and NLR, integrated with a real-time account billing system mitigates, the Home Providers exposure to credit risk. During the Regnot process, the NLR software captures the roaming serving MSCID and provides this to the Roaming Server for use in subsequent rating of call originations. Furthermore, during call origination, the NLR software captures the calling subscribers MIN and dialed digits. This will be provided to the Roaming Server for subsequent use by the centralized 800# RSU in setting up the call to the called party. In response, the NLR software receives a unique dialed number DN for use by the roaming serving MSC to extend the originating call to the 800# RSU. During this aspect of the invention, call termination to the wireless roaming subscriber can be disabled. The centralized location of the Roaming Solution components specifically the NLR, Roaming Server, and the Call Origination RSU alleviates the need for specialized roaming platforms to be co-located at the serving switch to service unregistered prepay roaming subscribers because now they can be registered.
Another aspect of the present invention is the supporting of call delivery to the wireless credit risk roaming subscribers. Again, due to the Roaming Solution of the present invention, the Home Provider""s exposure to credit risk is mitigated. When an incoming call directed to a wireless credit risk roaming subscriber arrives at the home MSC, the MSC routes the call to the RSU of the billing system, which can be referred to as the account billing system RSU. The Account billing system RSU of the billing system queries the Market Server, requesting call validation and then requests from the Roaming Server a temporary local directory number (TLDN) to the Roaming Server MSC. The Roaming Server forwards the request to the NLR. Subsequently, upon request from the Roaming Server, the NLR software will obtain a TLDN from the roaming serving MSC using a route request (ROUTEREQ) message and response. The RSU integrated with the billing system interacting with the Roaming Server utilizes the TLDN to originate a call to the roaming serving MSC for the wireless roaming subscriber. Upon call termination, the call segments from the calling party to the RSU and from the RSU to the called wireless roaming subscriber will be bridged in the RSU integrated with the billing system. As noted above, the NLR software can disable call termination to a wireless roaming subscriber during Regnot. However, when a call to the wireless roaming subscriber is received, the NLR software sends a QUALDIR message to the roaming serving MSC to enable call termination to the wireless roaming subscriber. Upon call disconnect, the Roaming Server will inform the NLR software which then disables call terminations to the wireless roaming subscriber. Please note that the NLR does not take into account the fact that the wireless roaming subscriber has been handed off from its home MSC to a roaming serving MSC or from the serving MSC to its home MSC during a single call instance.
The invention includes the ability to communicate with an account-based billing and call control platform that allows registered prepaid wireless subscribers to place and receive calls when roaming out of their providers""home networks. The invention verifies that the prepaid wireless subscriber""s account balance is sufficient to place or receive the call, translates the account balance into talk minutes, and monitors the call for talk duration. If the prepaid wireless subscriber exceeds the available account balance, the invention tears down the call in the first negative minute and immediately decrements the prepaid wireless subscriber""s account. If the call is disconnected before the account balance is depleted, the invention immediately decrements the prepaid wireless subscriber""s account and releases the trunks.
The present invention as described above remedies the short coming of wireless networks that are unable to service high credit risk roaming subscribers without exposing the Home Provider to unacceptable credit risk. The previously unregistered prepay wireless roaming subscriber requiring an unregistered prepay Roaming Solution can now be transitioned to registered account based wireless roaming subscribers. Also, these account based subscribers can be prepay or optionally a credit limited subscriber. These and other advantageous features of the present invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out herein below.